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GM Crops, an overview
Genetically Modified Foods, known as GM foods, are a major part of the human diet. GM foods come from altering genetic material of many organisms. We can alter the genetic makeup of animals, plants, and bacteria. We are not limited to altering the genetics of one species with different genes of that species, we can add genes from one species to another species which is known as recombinant DNA technology. Many GM products are out and in use. These products include things such as medicines, foods, and fibers. Data from 2006 shows that 10.6 million people planted 252 million acres of GM crops in 22 different countries. Corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, and alfalfa with GM resistance to herbicides and insects made up most of the crops planted. Other GM crops in use include sweet potatoes with resistance to a devastating virus and rice that has increases iron and vitamins which could help lower malnutrition in many Asian countries. Many crops are GM to help increase their ability to handle extreme weather. There is work on making bananas which will produce vaccines against such things as hepatitis B, faster growing fish, cattle resistance to mad cow disease, and plants which produce crops sooner or even product new materials. Most GM crops are grown in industrialized nations, but its use in increasing in developing nations. Many people are considered about the health risks of eating GM foods. Some studying have showed the development of peanut allergies to eating GM products, possibly due to genetic engineering creating a new allergen. Many other studies claim health problems ranging from cancer to changing of the intestines of rats which ate GM products. Most of these studies have been shown to be, or are thought to be flawed. Many people also worry of the cross pollination of normal plants with GM plants, which could create weeds that are resistant to insects and herbicides. Ways that companies could stop the cross pollination are creating plants which are male sterile, don’t create pollen, or plants which do not have the GM gene in the pollen it does create. Many countries have some restrictions on GM foods, from banning them altogether to requiring testing. The United States restrictions are very confusing at times because GM foods fall under three different agencies to regulate. The EPA, USDA and the FDA, all have some claim to regulate GM crops. The FDA for example would usually determine if a food is safe to eat, but it deals in products not whole foods, so cereal would fall under their jurisdiction, but a whole ear of corn would not. Creating and testing GM crops is very costly to the companies making them, as such they want to charge for their products and force people to re-buy seed each year and not allow the saving of crops to replant a field the next year. They can do this by making seed which won’t grow in the 2nd generation or a GM crop that won’t have the GM gene in the 2nd generation. Citations http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php http://jimbonham.com/blog/genetically-modified-foods/ http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml http://www.tgdaily.com/trendwatch-brief/58906-study-gmo-food-causes-organ-disruption-in-animals Citations http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml